There are 1.8 million tax-exempt organizations in the United States alone, from Harvard University to your local homeless shelter. This is a huge market that many businesses don’t know how to tap.
Do you want to sell your services or products to nonprofit organizations? First you have to find them. Here are a few tips on how.
- In your local community, find a few organizations doing work you admire. Reach out to them via social media by retweeting or sharing their content. Attend their events. For that matter, sponsor their events. Ask for an informational interview with the Executive Director, and if you really want to build a long-lasting relationship, volunteer!
- Seek out organizations that serve the nonprofit community. The Association of Fundraising Professionals is one. State associations like the Massachusetts Nonprofit Network are good too. Go to their conferences and meet their constituency: it could be the audience you’re trying to reach. Let them know where they can find you online. Share useful information written in a way that speaks their language.
- Read nonprofit journals, like The Nonprofit Quarterly or more specialized publications like the Chronicle of Philanthropy. See what their readers are interested in and make those a centerpiece of your social media presence.
I also recommend becoming active in LinkedIn groups such as Social Media for Nonprofit Organizations. You can learn a lot by listening to conversations in these groups and build your own presence by genuinely getting involved.
Nonprofits, what other advice would you give to vendors who want your business?
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